Prostate Cancer

American Cancer Society

Reviewed February 2014

What we’ll be talking about

� How common is prostate cancer? What is prostate cancer? What causes it? What are the risk factors? Can prostate cancer be prevented? Tests to find prostate cancer early What you can do More information

�

�

�

�

�

�

�

Prostate cancer: How common is it?

� The cancer most often diagnosed in men inthe U.S.

For reasons that remain unclear, it occurs more often in African American men than in any other group in the U.S.

Is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men in the U.S.

�

�

What is the prostate? � The prostate is a gland

found only in men. It is part of the reproductive system and helps to make semen. It is located in front of the rectum and under the bladder. A healthy prostate gland is about the size of a walnut.

�

�

�

What is prostate cancer?

� Cancer is the growth of abnormal cells.

Cancer cells can invade and damage normal tissue.

Prostate cancer starts in the cells of the prostate.

�

�

What is prostate cancer?

� Some prostate cancers can grow and spread quickly.

Most of them grow slowly. Studies have shown that many older men who died of other diseases also had prostate cancer that never affected them during their lives.

�

Causes of prostate cancer

� We do not know the cause of prostate cancer.

Most likely cause is related to changes in the genetic material (DNA) in our cells.

DNA changes can be passed down through families, or can occur due to environment or lifestyle.

�

�

Prostate cancer risk factors

� Age � About 6 out of 10 prostate cancers are found

in men older than 65.

� Race/Ethnicity � African-American men and Jamaican men of

African ancestry have the highest risk and are more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage. The reasons for these racial differences are unclear.

�

Prostate cancer risk factors � Family history � Having a father or brother

with prostate cancer more than doubles a man's risk of developing this disease.

� The risk is much higher for men with several affected relatives, particularly if their relatives were young at the time the cancer was found. Most men diagnosed with prostate cancer do not have a family history of the disease.

�

Prostate cancer risk factors � Genes � Some inherited genes seem to raise risk.

This accounts for only a very small number of cases. For most of these genes, genetic testing is not yet available.

�

�

� Diet � High in red meat or high-fat dairy products

and low in fruits and vegetables Æ may raise risk

Can prostate cancer be prevented?

� Because the exact cause of prostate cancer is not known, at this time it is not possible to prevent most cases of the disease.

Known risk factors such as age, race, and family history cannot be controlled.

�

Lowering prostate cancer risk

�

There are things that can be done that may help lower the risk of prostate cancer.

Eat right � Choose foods and beverages in amounts that

help achieve and maintain a healthy weight. At least 2½ cups of vegetables and fruits each day Choose whole grains instead of refined grain products Limit red meats and processed meats

�

�

�

Lowering prostate cancer risk

� Supplements � Vitamin E and selenium have been studied;

neither has been shown to lower risk. No vitamins or supplements have been proven to lower the risk of prostate cancer. Taking any supplements can have risks and benefits. Talk to your doctor before starting any vitamins or other supplements.

�

�

Lowering prostate cancer risk

� Medicines 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors

These drugs block the formation of the most active form of testosterone that causes the prostate to grow. Examples: Finasteride (Proscar®) and Dutasteride (Avodart®) Talk to your doctor about this—these drugs are not FDA approved for use to prevent prostate cancer. Other drugs like this are being studied.

Early detection of prostate cancer

� Screening is testing to find cancer, or other disease, in people who have no symptoms. Screening can help find cancers in an early stage when they are small, have not spread, and are more easily cured. Screening for prostate cancer can be done with: Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test Digital Rectal Exam (DRE)

�

�

Early detection of prostate cancer

Screening tests most often used

� Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) Made by cells in the prostate gland Most healthy men have a small amount of PSA [less than 4 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL)] in their blood

� Digital rectal exam (DRE) Doctor puts their gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum to feel for any bumps or hard areas on the prostate that might be cancer May be uncomfortable, but shouldn’t cause pain and only takes a short time

Screening for prostate cancer

� There are limits to the current screening methods: Neither the PSA test nor the DRE is 100% accurate. Abnormal results of these tests don't always mean that cancer is present, and normal results don't mean that there is no cancer. If cancer is found, neither test can tell how likely the cancer is to grow and spread.

ACS Recommendations for the Early Detection of Prostate Cancer

� ACS does not support routine testing for prostate cancer at this time. Men should talk with a health care professional to learn about the uncertainties, risks, and potential benefits of testing in order to make an informed decision about whether to be tested. Prostate cancer testing should not be done without giving each man a chance to make an informed decision.

�

�

ACS Recommendations for the Early Detection of Prostate Cancer

� This discussion should begin in men with at least a 10-year life expectancy… At age 50 for men at average risk for prostate cancer At age 45 for men at high risk for prostate cancer

� African American men Men who have a first-degree relative (father, brother, or son) diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age (younger than age 65)

�

At age 40 for men at even higher risk � Those with more than one first-degree relative who

had prostate cancer at an early age

What do men need to know to make an informed decision about testing? � Prostate cancer is not always life-

threatening. Most prostate cancers grow slowly. Many men who die of other causes are found at autopsy to have prostate cancer that caused them no problems during life. Although about 1 out of every 7 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, only 1 man in 36 will die from the disease.

What do men need to know to make an informed decision about testing? � As of yet, there is no proof that finding

prostate cancer early through testing will have a positive impact for most men. � Testing clearly helps some men, but in others

it leads to diagnosis and treatment of cancers that would never have caused harm. Prostate cancer treatment has side effects.

Side-effects include impotence and incontinence, which can have a major impact on the quality of a man’s life.

�

Early detection of prostate cancer

Men should take part in the decision to be tested for

prostate cancer by learning about prostate cancer and the pros and cons of early

detection and treatment of prostate cancer.

So what can you do about prostate cancer?

What you can do

� Talk to your doctor about your known risk factors and what you can do to lower your risk.

Starting at age 50, or earlier, talk to your doctor about whether you should have prostate cancer screening tests done.

Tell other men about the importance of talking to a doctor about prostate cancer screening tests.

�

�

More information

�

You can get more information about prostate cancer on our website, www.cancer.org, or call 1-800-227-2345 and talk with one of our Cancer Information Specialists.

Prostate Cancer: Early Detection Prostate Cancer – A detailed guide Prostate Cancer Overview Managing Incontinence for Men With

Cancer

� � �

Each of these is also available in Spanish.

Thank you!